A Magical Christmas
by ChesNeko13
Summary: An Illvermony student transfers to the prestigious Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, terrified of meeting new people when a transfer student in her same problem becomes friends with her, helping each other through the strange and wondrous new school.
1. Ch 1: Two strangers on a train

Addie yawned softly, settling into the train's carriages as she plopped onto a green couch, looking out the window onto the crowded platform, witnessing good byes and farewells from many parents and guardians, hers unable to come to the station. She was a student of Illvermony first and foremost, but her father had gotten orders to transfer, so she had to move her educational career as well across the seas to the prestigious Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Thankfully, the letter had already consulted with her Illvermony headmistress, gotten all of her grades to the school, and assured her she wouldn't have to buy new items all over again. Her parents were Muggles, and couldn't afford such expensive shopping trips all the time.

One very good thing also was she was allowed to keep her precious Marshmallow, a very fluffy white Pomsky with bright blue eyes and pink tongue. She had him listed as a service animal for herself to help her panic attacks, and thankfully the schools were all right with her keeping the dog. Illvermony even extended two gifts to her as well before leaving: her Applewood wand with unicorn hair and a small pendant of a carved pendant revealing her old house, Pukwudgie. She had adored her school, made so many friends with both staff and other students, had finally found a home when the orders had come through that she had to transfer over to the new school. Somehow she found comfort in that each student that transferred to Hogwarts actually found plenty of new friends, improved their education, and always came out with brand new jobs appointed to either the English Ministry of Magic, or even their native land's Ministry. She knew there were schools all over the world, even having researched a few over the summer out of pure curiosity, and she loved hearing the stories of the schools and their students performing new magic, scoring Quidditch world records, and creating new benefits for both the wizarding and Muggle world.

She jumped lightly from her thoughts as she heard light knocking on the carriage door, turning around as she saw a short, pale student wearing beautiful silk robes of cherry blossom pink and Oriental designs, somehow avoiding the color white in all its colorful menagerie. She got up, going over as she opened the door, greeted by the student politely bowing to her.

"I'm so sorry, but everywhere else is full. Is there any way I can join you in the room?" the student asked, revealing a soft feminine voice as Addie shrugged, opening the door wider as she waved the student into the room. She watched the figure carefully smooth out the robes, settling into the seat as they held a basket where it rustled under the blanket, revealing a brilliant golden fox head poked out.

"Sorry, he's really restless on long journeys… This is my Shinigami, or my familiar, a kitsune. He's not that old, only five tails since that's how many years I have in the magical school. I'm a transfer from Mahoutokoro in Minami Iwo-Jima," the student explained, offering a pale, almost fairy-like hand as Addie gently shook it.

"I'm Addie, I'm a transfer too! Only, I'm from Illvermony, the North American magical school. I'm getting transferred to Hogwarts because of my dad's job, he got transferred to Germany, so Hogwarts was the closest I had next to Beauxbatons. I didn't really want to go to an all girl's school though, didn't sound very fun," she added, gaining a soft smile from the new student. She sat back, taking out a thermos of tea as she poured herself a cup, blowing on the hot Earl Grey as she watched the new student from the corner of her eyes.

"The student wasn't very tall, the shoes actually giving an extra inch or two to the overall height, but the robe was hiding any sign of gender identity. Addie knew it was the twenty first century, anyone can be anything, but she felt uncomfortable not even knowing what pronoun to address them by! She saw short black hair streaked with pink and purple twisting within the bangs, wide blue eyes under a pair of thin glasses, pale skin with the slightest hint of make up on their eyes, hiding dark circles and the slightest hint of wrinkles on the corner of their eyes and mouth. She glanced down, noticing the hands were thin and held long fingers, but also had callouses and traces of bruising and cuts, showing manual labor or possible violence. She wondered if this was a violent student, or perhaps an abused one, but she didn't feel in danger around them, no hints of anxiety or nervous stomach twisting. Addie actually felt calm around this student, relaxing and even sipping her tea in peace, not even her tiny Pomsky in her lap even stirring in its deep sleep.

"May I ask what your name is…? I know it's a bit rude, but it might help?" Addie stammered, blushing as the student glanced up at her, smiling faintly as they hid their smile behind the robe sleeve.

My name is Ren… I'm a boy, if it helps. I was just born like this, a weird mix between male and female. My dad was English while my mother, well… deceased mother, was Japanese. He remarried and they're moving to England, so I'm attending Hogwarts until I graduate. I'm honestly hoping to move back to Japan, I miss it very much…" Ren admitted, glancing down at his fox familiar that chirped, nibbling his finger as it crawled up towards his shoulder, snuggling around his neck as Addie noticed its five golden tails swirling excitedly. She smiled softly, petting her small white cloud on her lap as they glanced up, hearing a cart rattle as an older lady came across with a trolley filled with many different candies and treats Addie had never seen!

"Anything off the trolley, dears?" Addie got up, going over with her small purse as she went through the items, humming as she picked out a cauldron cake and a packet of Bertie Bott's, paying the older lady as she sat next to Ren, offering a piece of candy.

"Here, have some. The beans are a little dangerous, they have all kinds of flavors both good and bad, but I've always been lucky with some of them. There's even a game in the States where you take out all the beans, sort them by color, and whoever gets chosen picks a bean that another person has to eat a bean of the same color. They either get a good bean or a bad bean, and you get scored by how many good beans you eat!" Addie explained, handing Ren a small white bean as he timidly nibbled it, making a slight face.

"Ugh... kettle corn. I'm not a big fan of sweet popcorn, but it's not the worst." He glanced over, seeing Addie eat the same color as she spat hers out.

"Nope, nope! Ugh, that was soap... ew," she groaned, taking out a notepad as she wrote a tally for Ren and a minus 1 for her score.

"That's the whole game, shall we? It'll pass the time," she offered, smiling as she showed Ren the colorful beans as he sighed, picking out a red bean.

"As long as it kills time but not my stomach." He smiled, trying the candy as the transfer students played on the train ride, becoming quick fast friends in time for a new school year at Hogwarts.


	2. Ch 2: Sorting Misfits (Addie)

Addie felt the train come to a slowing stop as she glanced out the window, now nighttime as she and Ren cleaned up the mess of beans and napkins, her notebook showing they had tied with only five tally marks each for scoring. She had gotten to know Ren, found out he was born hermaphrodite and hid under the guise of a girl to keep less attention away from him, and under his Japanese grandmother's tutelage, became a successful apprentice geisha and was admitted into Mahoutokoro with little trouble. He had grown to be almost fearful of people when he was in public, considering his doll like stature and almost feminine voice, but he still worked on his image, wanting to solidify his identity as male.

He had told Addie that Japan was rather free when it came to cross dressing and gender identity, but other countries were not so forgiving. His hope was when he started in Hogwarts, he could become the young man he had wanted to be, and not continue to hide under the fragile doll his grandmother kept him as for most of his childhood. It had gotten to the point his Japanese side of the family refused to see him as male even though he insisted on it, keeping him as "Renka", a female modification to his actual name.

Addie had listened to his story, completely shocked at the new information but she told him she didn't really mind. As long as he was a loyal friend, kind, and helpful, she didn't care if he had three heads or nine arms, let alone if he chose a different gender or sexual orientation. They became quick friends, chatting endlessly throughout the game with the beans when Addie had heard the train whistle going off, signaling their arrival at Hogsmeade, the tiny village laying just outside Hogwarts. The station was only a few miles from the castle, and older students got there by carriages being pulled by strange creatures known as thestrals.

"Says here that thestrals are horselike creatures with large, leather wings, almost skeletal appearance, and bird cries as forms of communication. To see a thestral is to have seen death in front of you, so I guess they appear invisible to most then," Ren explained, holding his favorite textbook: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. He adored learning about magical creatures and beasts, having scored the highest in the equivalent class in Mahoutokoro, but instead of beasts, they were called ayakashi or yokai depending on how powerful they were. His fox was even considered yokai since apparently the fox demons were divided into many sub branches, all blessed by a fox goddess named Inari.

"Oh, come on Ren, I found a carriage!" Addie grabbed his hand, running over to a carriage as they climbed on, Ren sitting carefully at the end as several students in Hogwarts robes glanced at the two with confused glances.

"Where are you two from then?" a student asked, bearing the badge of a badger in yellow and black.

"Ah… I'm from Illvermony in America, and Ren is from Mahoutokoro in Japan. We're transfer students here," Addie explained, suddenly getting swarmed with questions as the Hogwarts students became interested.

"W-well, I don't know what house I was sorted into… I don't believe the letter held any such information," Ren squeaked, being interrogated by a couple girls that swooned over his robes.

"So beautiful, are you sure I can't touch?"

"Where on Earth did you get such beautiful clothing? I would love to have it!"

"P-please stop touching, they're my school robes. Please don't touch!" he huffed, suddenly hearing a bark as his fox spirit jumped from the basket, nipping at the girl's hands as its tails flared in anger, defending his master's robes.

"What on Earth is that?!"

"It's his familiar, apparently students in Japan make binding contracts to infant demons once they're sorted into their appropriate houses. What were they again, Ren?" Addie asked, stealing his attention from glaring at the girls as he took a soft breath.

"They're Tanuki, Tengu, Kitsune, and Kappa. They're all native demons to Japan and helped found the school within the island of Iwo Jima… I'm from Kitsune house, so I gained a baby fox when I started learning magic at 11 years old." Ren scooped up his kitsune, hugging him close as he petted the soft golden fur, the fox still snarling at the girls as they backed off, growing quiet as they huddled away from Ren. Addie pouted lightly, glancing to Ren but she noticed he didn't seem to mind losing all the attention, almost smiling that they had finally left him alone.

"So, what classes are you hoping to take this year? You said your name was Addie?" A young man in the same robes asked politely, trying to smooth the awkward silence as she nodded.

"Yeah, umm… I don't really know to be honest. I know I have the core classes, but my electives were sort of all over the place. I know I submitted in for Alchemy and Astronomy but there's no telling if I'll get those classes or not," she admitted, smiling timidly as the student laughed.

"Hey don't worry about it, I'm sure there'll be enough students to want those classes too. I loved Astronomy when I took it last year, the telescopes are amazing! The goal is to try and stay awake all night though," he added, chuckling as he offered a large hand.

"My name's Drew, I'm a Hufflepuff here at Hogwarts." He gently shook Addie's outstretched hand as she smiled, inclining her head.

"Nice to meet you." She smiled, sitting back as she gasped, gently patting Ren's knee as he glanced up towards the direction of her jaw-dropping gaze, widening his eyes. Above the tree tops came a large iron gate, flanked by winged boars guarding the path towards a massive, stone castle, the windows flickering like a wall of lanterns in the darkness as Addie smiled wide.

"It's beautiful…"

"It's terrifying… Are all European castles this scary?" Ren whispered, getting a soft giggle from Addie as she shook her head.

"It's just the Western culture. Illvermony looked more like an academy than a castle. I hear the appearances all change around the world, blending in with the country's background of architecture and culture," Addie explained, pointing up at the castle as she started listing various terms for the towers and castle structures while Ren tried to remember the terms, almost pouting.

"My English isn't that good…"

"Your English is actually really good, I'm just a nerd when it comes to medieval castles," Addie admitted, blushing lightly as Ren chuckled. He found Addie's energy contagious, her smiles and giggles uplifting while her nose would crinkle, reflecting all the freckles across her cheeks. He found her… what was the word, adorable? Cute? He didn't quite have the right word yet, but he definitely liked her, feeling absolutely lucky that she was his first friend he met on this trip.

The carriages finally stopped in front of a pair of large bronze doors as Ren and Addie hopped off the carriage carefully, Ren holding his kitsune in his arms as the other students hopped off while Drew pinned on a silver badge reading PREFECT.

"Come on, I'll show you to the Great Hall, and you can get sorted before the first years arrive! It's a new rule they introduced after the huge battle in 1998, they discovered all the different magical schools and they all worked together to create a transferring network for all witches and wizards worldwide. This way, please," Drew added, leading the way to the Great Hall as Ren and Addie followed closely, both gasping as they looked up at the moving portraits and swinging staircases, the ghosts drifting along as Ren squealed, hiding behind Addie who tried to talk to every single ghost on the way up, gaining a look of stun on each of the deceased faces. Drew laughed, shooing them up the stairs and away from the ghosts as they came to the first floor, going down the hall as they opened a second pair of engraved bronze doors, swinging open to reveal a cavernous room filled with four long tables, stained glass windows circling around the room, and the ceiling displaying a beautiful, clear night sky with floating carved candles. Addie gaped, swirling around in circles as Ren pushed her to follow Drew, trying to keep her focused as Drew led them up to a stool capped with a large, ratty hat.

"This is the Sorting Hat, he's in charge of sorting all of our students into their appropriate houses. Kind of like Mahoutokoro and Illvermony, we have four houses too: Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff, my house! Well, all you have to do is sit on the stool, let the deputy headmistress place the hat on your head and he determines your house!" Drew explained, puffing his chest in pride as McGonagall strode up to them, wearing beautiful emerald green robes as she offered a smile.

"Welcome to Hogwarts Ms. Vannes and Mr. Parker. I do hope you enjoy your time here at Hogwarts, like all of our students, and come to call it a home. Now, Mr. Parker, you first please," she replied, holding up the hat as Ren gulped, going over as he sat on the stool, shivering as the hat settled on his head, suddenly ripping a seam as it moved like a mouth.

"Let's see… such curiosity strives in this one! Hmm… cultural, humble, modest, ah but there's ambition. Quite the prankster too! Hmm.. I place you in Slytherin house!" The table on the far right of the room from where they were standing clapped happily, cheering as Ren felt the hat lift off his head, getting up as he bowed to McGonagall, smiling timidly to Addie and Drew as he went over to the table, sitting down as the students talked to him quietly, introducing themselves.

"Now Ms. Vannes, your turn." Addie went over to the stool, sitting down as she nibbled her lip, feeling Marshmallow nuzzle from inside her robe pocket as she sighed, taking slow deep breaths as the Sorting Hat finally began to speak.

"Well, well, well… Quite a unique mind this one! Very wild, but calculative, almost a natural born genius! So many inventive ideas and curious riddles, I can happily say Ravenclaw is the house for you!" Addie smiled brightly as the table next to Ren's clapped, cheering as she hopped over, sitting next to the students.

"Now that you're sorted, the first years will be coming any second. The Sorting Hat usually gives a big speech or even sings! Oh, I'm sorry, my name is Lysandre Lovegood! My mom was Luna, from the Battle of Hogwarts," a young man with brilliantly white blond hair and sparkling grey eyes offered a hand, shaking Addie's enthusiastically.

"Umm, thank you? Ah… Lysandre was it?" Addie smiled, relaxing slowly as she glanced over to Ren, trying to check on him as she heard the doors booming open once more, admitting in a flood of tiny students coming in, looking around the Great Hall with the same bulging eyes Addie and Ren expressed when they first came in. She smiled, watching the procedure happen as McGonagall unrolled the thick scroll in her hand, about to announce names when the Sorting Hat cleared his throat, beginning to sing a song about the founders.

"So it's Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Salazar Slytherin, and Helga Hufflepuff, right? They were the founders?" Lysandre nodded, tucking a bang of white blond hair behind his ear.

"Yup, all four founded the school, though Salazar wanted the school to only have pureblooded families attend Hogwarts. The other three didn't agree and it caused problems, if we honestly just stayed pure, we would've died out. The Muggles helped us stay alive and carry on the magical name even!"

"Yeah, my school was founded by a pureblood witch, a descendant of Salazar Slytherin, and her No-Maj husband."

"No-Maj?" Lysandre asked, tilting his head like a cat as Addie giggled.

"Sorry, Muggle in American. We call them No-Majs, but it's the same thing. Heck, I'm Muggle born since both of my parents never went to any of the wizarding schools, but we have friends who had, so that's how my parents knew about them. My mom was so happy when I got my letter to attend Illvermony," she giggled, recalling the memory of finding her mom dancing around the house, singing at the top of her lungs until she finally insisted on reading her letter.

"Which school did your friend transfer from? The headmistress said Mahoutokoro? What's that?"

"Mahoutokoro is located in Minami Iwo-Jima, one of the islands in Japan thought to be uninhabitable. He's from there, but I guess his English dad remarried and they moved to England, so this is his new school. Apparently how it works is they first get admitted at seven years old! From seven to 11 years old, they learn manners, courtesy, dance and speech, small classes. At 11 years old, they can finally begin learning magic and gain their Shinigami, or familiar, and are sorted into their own houses. They can choose to live there, or still travel home on top of a massive bird. I can't recall what species, I see it with cranes…" Addie muttered, showing a picture in her small book: A History of Magical Schools. Lysandre nodded, humming softly as he read threw the article, nodding.

"Ahh, so their robes reflect how well they're doing, but if they turn white, they committed a terrible crime and are promptly expelled. Explains why his has every other color but white. How fascinating," he hummed, glancing up as the students were finished sorting, McGonagall dismissing the students as food suddenly appeared on the tables, overflowing the dishes and goblets with fresh food and drinks as Addie's stomach growled.

"It smells like my dad's cooking…! How is that?"

"House elves make the food, but they are very good at guessing what each student wants. Guess they figured you would love steak and white cheddar mashed potatoes. Only sad thing is, we can't have alcohol, even if you are of legal age. We normally get water, pumpkin juice, tea, or coffee," Lysandre explained, gulping down his fresh goblet of pumpkin juice. Addie hummed, looking at the orange juice as she pouted.

"Rather have Earl Grey with lemon…" Her voice trailed off as a teacup appeared, filled with perfectly steeped Earl Gray, a slice of lemon on the side, and even three packets of sugar as she smiled, fixing her tea as she began to eat hungrily, quickly clearing her plate. She nearly filled it up when Lysandre stopped her hand, counting down to zero as the dishes cleared themselves away, her teacup refilling as desserts appeared.

"Always have room for dessert, excellent mind food," Lysandre commented, reaching for English sticky toffee pudding as Addie immediately snatched some tarts off a nearby plate and scoops of vanilla ice cream.

"Amazing… I think I'm going to love it here," she said, eating happily as the night went on with gentle chatter, an eventual speech of school rules, and finally everyone standing as they sang the Hogwarts school song, Addie and Ren staying quiet as they learned the lyrics first before joining in at the last verse. The prefects immediately took charge, shooing their own classmates out the hall and leading them towards their common room, Addie turning to wave to Ren as the Slytherins headed down the stairs instead of up.

"Don't worry, he'll be okay. Slytherins really aren't all that bad, couple of my friends are Slytherins," Lysandre chimed in, taking Addie's hand as they headed up to a tall, winding bronze staircase, stopping at a large door fitted with a bronze knocker in the shape of an eagle. The prefect picked up the knocker, banging it on the door as its mouth began to move slowly.

"Why is a raven like a writing desk?"

"What…?" Addie's brow furrowed, her mind reeling as Lysandre sighed.

"Of course, it would give us this as our password tonight. Our knocker doesn't have a set password, it asks a question, and if you can answer it with a viable solution, it'll open for you. Great way to collaborate and meet people, terrible if you're desperate to get something or in this case, go to bed after a full supper and a long train ride," Lysandre whined, trying to figure it out as Addie walked over to the knocker.

"They both have feathers! A raven is a bird, naturally covered in feathers, while a writing desk would have a quill made from the feather of a bird," Addie answered, nibbling her lip as all the Ravenclaws went quiet as the door swung open, revealing a beautiful room surrounded by wide, bay windows overlooking the grounds of the school. The prefect led everyone in, making sure everyone was inside the common room as they gave a quick speech, giving advice, and informing them of their Head of House, a partial goblin and professor named Flitwick, and their House Ghost: the Grey Lady.

Addie yawned as they were finally shown up the stairs into their rooms, her eyes bugging as she noticed the four poster beds in beautiful sky blue sheets surrounding a warm furnace, and her trunk already set up next to her bed, brand new robes with the new badge embroidered onto it, a fresh scarf, and her books and supplies neatly stacked on the writing desk. On top lay her schedule for the year as she picked it up before changing into her favorite pair of Batman fuzzy pajamas, crawling into bed as Marshmallow popped up, licking her nose as it snuggled to her neck, quickly snoring to sleep as she read over the schedule.

"Let's see… Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts… odd I thought they discontinued it. Transfiguration, oh Charms! Let's see, oh good, Alchemy is on there, Care of Magical Creatures afterwards with Herbology and Astronomy. Fascinating, sounds like a fun day, huh Marsh?" she giggled at the tiny puppy's muffled yawn, snuggling up as she promptly fell asleep, listening to the winds singing around the tower's windows, lulling all the students to a peaceful sleep.


	3. Ch 3: Sorting Misfits (Ren)

Ren on the other hand, was having a very different time once he was sorted. The Slytherins that introduced himself were all younger, much more curious in his school life and Japan as he tried to stay invisible and eat in peace. He felt his anxiety building terribly fast, his stomach roiling and eventually losing his whole appetite as he grumbled, asking the goblet for a cup of fresh green tea with mint while he petted the fox demon. The goblet swirled and morphed into a beautiful porcelain cup, cracked and layered with gold as he sipped the fresh tea with both hands, taking slow deep breaths to finally calm his nerves.

"Rough time?" He nearly jumped, clenching the tea cup as he whirled on a tall young man in the black and green robes, long dark hair and green eyes.

"I'm Albus, I've been in Slytherin for a while. The blonde over there is Scorpius, my best friend. Said your name was Ren, right? Does it mean something special in Japanese?" he asked, helping Ren focus on one person instead of a group all at once as he took a soft breath.

"It means lotus… it was my mother's favorite flower and my favorite scent. My grandmother insisted on hiding me as a girl, so she often called me Renka, the girl's version, but I'm hoping… Well, I'm trying to assert myself more as a male this year."

"Bit of an odd goal, are you trans?"

"Am I what…? No, no, I was born hermaphrodite, both female and male parts. Chaos when puberty hit, but I'm trying to avoid all that surgery mess. I want to be… well, me. Ren Parker, a young boy hoping to just get by in school and become a successful wizard," Ren explained, sipping the tea as Albus slowly nodded.

"Oh… well, I think I understand that. I don't see why you won't have a problem, most people here don't care, heck there's even a small group of wizards and witches running an awareness program for the LGBT community within Hogwarts itself. It's a really accepting school," Albus added, smiling as he glanced at Scorpius who waved happily, eating a tart.

"He's got a crush on you," Ren stated, smirking as he saw Albus pale lightly.

"Ah… y-yeah I know, I'm just a little… anxious? I've never dated before, more or less with a boyfriend or girlfriend. I'm not sure how I feel about it, really, but I don't want to crush his hopes," Albus stammered, flushing bright red as Ren smiled softly.

"It's not that bad, I think it'll be okay. Just go out on a limb and give it a try, it's the best you can do. Just remember, relationships are teamwork, getting through obstacles together, not by yourselves and against each other." Ren hummed, seeing dessert appear on his plate as he smiled, eating the caramel pudding with the small, silver spoon. His fox chirped, hopping up as he ate the other half, both finishing the pudding as the students began to stand and walk away from the tables, heading towards their common rooms. Ren glanced over as Albus stood, offering a hand as Ren gently took it, standing carefully with his restricted legs in the formal kimono as he smoothed out the skirt, straightening his long sleeves as his fox curled up on his shoulder.

"Everyone all ready? Let's get going then!" Ren pricked his ears, hearing a female prefect calling the group of Slytherins to order as they formed a line of two columns, heading towards the staircases as Scorpius ran over to them, smiling.

"Hey, hi, hi! My name's Scorpius, oh my gosh I have so many questions!" The blond was about to start hammering away when Albus popped a hand over his mouth.

"Save it for another, Scorpius, we're all tired and full, just wanting to go to bed. Let's go," Albus shooed Scorpius, making him behave as he helped them get through to the front of the line, pointing the portrait of Salazar Slytherin looking up at a massive silver boa coiled around him protectively.

"That's our founder, Salazar Slytherin! He believed more in purebloods, but honestly these days it really doesn't matter. The password is written on the notice boards every week on Sunday when it changes over, so keep an eye on it. Some people can bypass it if they speak Parseltongue," Scorpius added, smiling.

"What is… ah, P…parsel- what was it?"

"Parseltongue, it's the language of the serpents Salazar could speak fluently. My dad speaks it too, it comes to me occasionally," Albus answered, going over as he spoke in a strange, raspy voice as the portrait swung open, revealing an elegant room with black leather chaise lounges and armchairs, green tapestries draped over the stone walls, and a large hearth burning warmly with bright green flames. Ren stepped inside, glancing around as he gasped, pointing at the window as Scorpius giggled, waving to a massive squid swimming past, its large tentacles skimming over the windows.

"Oh, about that... He lives in the black lake, and in a way, we do too since we're so deep under the castle. You get used to seeing him around, and sometimes merpeople if you're lucky," Albus explained, leading Ren to the dorm rooms as Ren gasped, going over to a four poster bed in emerald sheets with silver trim, soft black mink blankets, and comfortable pillows spilling over at the top. His mahogany trunk lay open, revealing brand new Slytherin robes, pants and vests, ties and a new scarf neatly arranged with his schoolbooks and supplies neatly placed in a new bag. He tilted his head, picking up a long thin box as Scorpius gasped.

"It's your wand!"

"I've never used one… In Mahoutokoro, I used scrolls, spell papers, ink and brushes. How do I use a wand…?" Ren asked, opening the box to reveal a simple rowan wand at 10 inches, picking it up slowly as his fox chirped in his ear.

"Unicorn hair? How strange…"

"Wait, your fox can talk?" Scorpius hopped onto his bed, already dressed in simple green pajamas and fuzzy socks as Ren nodded.

"Of course he can, don't your familiar's talk?"

"Ah… owls, toads, and cats don't talk normally. We just have animals really to get the mail for us, past that, they just kind of… live with us," Albus explained, picking up a fluffy black cat as he handed it to Scorpius who squealed, taking the cat and hugging him tight.

"How strange… Well, being a fox demon, he can talk to me. It's just a different language really only I'm trained to talk to. Otherwise, you'd have to be a very experienced wizard with a long experience in foreign languages," Ren explained, petting the golden fox as he took out a pair of silk pajamas, woven of sapphire blue with gold lotuses as he slid on his pajamas, crawling into bed as Albus walked over, handing him a schedule.

"These are your classes for the year, don't worry. Basically everyone in this room has the same schedule, so we can guide you to the classrooms. Breakfast is early, so be sure to get enough sleep, and double check you have everything. It's a long trip back to the common room," Albus added, smiling as Ren glanced at the schedule, huffing as he swiped his hand over the parchment, turning it into recognizable Japanese kanji.

"Ah that's better… I'm still learning, and frankly, my eyes are too tired." Ren smiled, glancing down at the schedule as he read it through quietly.

"You have Quidditch here…? Do you hold try outs?"

"Y-yeah, should be within a couple weeks, do you play?"

"Albus, Mahoutokoro have an amazing team! One of the best, and the longest undefeated streak in all the Quidditch World Cup series! They're called the Toyohashi Tengu, and they're amazing in the air! Don't tell me you played?!" Scorpius practically beamed, almost glowing as Ren blushed, smiling softly.

"Seeker… that was always my position. I was the smallest and fastest on the broom, so I was built for the position. It's why my hands are a little roughed up too, I played for a long time while I was at the school." Ren held up his hands, Albus casting a small charm as a light beamed at the end of his wand, illuminating the cuts, scrapes, and callouses on Ren's otherwise smooth hands.

"Fascinating… my dad and granddad were Seekers too for Gryffindor. I don't really have the talent for it, and Scorpius can't seem to stay on his broom," Albus smirked as Scorpius pouted.

"Hey, I've only faceplanted onto the ground once!"

"From a couple hundred feet in the air! Your dad was having kittens!" Albus laughed, dodging a pillow that Ren caught in his hand as he tossed it back to Scorpius, smiling softly.

"I think we got a new friend, Albus. Anyways, welcome to Slytherin House Ren! Get a good night's sleep now, we're going to need it," Scorpius chimed, easily curling up on the bed as he fell to sleep, the disgruntled black cat growling as it stayed still. Ren lay back, sighing as he curled up on his side, pulling his fox demon to his chest as he tried to fall asleep, the sounds of the water lapping at the stones, calm swishing of waves bringing him back to his island home, lulling him to sleep quickly.


	4. Ch 4: Potions, Flying, and Crushes?

Ren finally woke up around 7am, gathering his school supplies and checking his schedule as he grabbed his bag, tossing it over his shoulder as his fox demon yawned, hopping onto his shoulder. He rushed to clean up his face, straightening his hair as he followed the Slytherins to the Great Hall, yawning softly as he plopped onto the empty bench, rubbing his eyes as his fellow classmates talked among themselves. He perked his head up as he watched the Ravenclaws walk into the Hall, Addie smiling as she waved to him, sitting closest to him as he watched her take out a schedule, showing it towards him.

"Looks like we share a couple classes, huh?" He smiled, waving his finger as he circled ink around the subjects they shared, Addie smiling as she watched the ink curl around the various subjects. His fox demon chirped happily, eating out of a bowl of fresh cream as Ren ate a couple small pancakes, sipping his hot tea as he hummed.

"Oh, oh, Ren what classes do you have?" Scorpius chimed in, sliding in next to Ren as he opened his own schedule, glancing over Ren's shoulder to read the subjects.

"Aww! Albus, we don't share any classes with Ren! That's lame… but then, it makes sense. Depending on your year, also determines what classes you take and with who. Looks like you share a lot of classes with Ravenclaw though, I wonder if it's how they'll help you and the one girl keep up with your transfers," Scorpius added, showing the several classes Ren had noted.

"It'd make sense, that way you two can work together and help each other keep up with the current year's workload," Albus hummed, sitting next to Scorpius as he ate quietly, Ren nodding lightly as he petted his fox demon.

"I don't mind really, I think it'll be fun. It looks like Defense Against the Dark Arts is still running though, how come?"

"Well, they figured it wouldn't be such a bad class to keep. There are more threats out there than just well… umm…V-Voldemort…" Scorpius whispered, Ren furrowing his brow.

"Who…? I haven't heard of this, ah… how did you say his name?"

"Voldemort was a powerful Dark wizard that came to power, even took over the Ministry of Magic here in the UK for a few years, it's why children in the late 90s missed their letters. He destroyed any belonging to the Muggle-borns or half bloods. He was wanting to keep Hogwarts purely wizard blood only, but I don't think he realized that would've just killed us all really. Muggles are helping us stay alive really," Albus informed, sipping the pumpkin juice as Scorpius glanced to Ren.

"Didn't Japan have any dark lords? Like Illvermony had Grindelwald terrorizing them, and Europe even back then, before Voldemort!" Scorpius smiled, leaning in close as Ren arched an eyebrow, talking softly to his fox demon as they spoke quietly in soft words and chirps.

"Not really, the closest we would've had was Oda Nobunaga, the feudal warlord that actually almost controlled all of Japan with the use of black magic, enchanted weapons, and control over the population of ayakashi," Ren replied, sipping his tea as he noticed both Albus and Scorpius tilt their head.

"Who…? And what's a… eye a coach?" Scorpius stumbled, blushing brightly as Ren chuckled, shaking his head.

"Oda Nobunaga, that was his name, and his specialty was controlling and summoning ayakashi, or demons and supernatural creatures that lived in Japan. They could be ogres, ghosts, monsters, dragons, all kinds thrive in different parts of the island. A job the Japanese Ministry of Magic has is a tamer for those beasts, I was hoping to graduate from Mahoutokoro and becoming either a summoner and work with the ayakashi, or become a bounty hunter and take down overpowered and evil ayakashi terrorizing humans. We ah… don't have a name similar to these, ah… Muggles, I think it was?" Ren asked, glancing to Albus who chuckled.

"I think they're Muggles here in the UK, but they're called No-Maj in the States. It's weird, but each magical school has its own label for non magical humans." Ren nodded, finishing his tea as he stretched, getting up as he picked up the fox demon, petting the soft golden fur as Ren followed a stream of Slytherins heading towards Potions class, wrinkling his nose at the state of the dungeons, cold and covered with mildew and moss.

"Ew… gods, I miss my school," he grumbled, keeping close to his fox's fur as the class came into a large classroom, desks teamed with potion assignments, a table at the front of the class with a larger cauldron and covered with various bottles and vials of exotic ingredients. Ren stood next to an empty table as Addie suddenly popped up by his side, smiling softly.

"Hey! How was your first night?" she asked, smiling happily as they checked over their cauldrons simmering and assignments.

"Wasn't bad actually, I think I made friends…? Scorpius Malfoy and Albus Potter, have you heard of them?" he asked, watching her shake her head.

"Nah, my new friend was called Lysander Lovegood, he's really sweet. He's a bit empty-headed and whimsical, but he's really sweet!" She giggled, looking over the notes as they watched the chalkboard come to life as the chalk pieces started writing out ingredients for specific potions as Ren furrowed his brow.

"Pepper-up potions and panaceas? Guess it's not the worst, but I already know spells for that!" Ren pouted softly as Addie shrugged, going up to gather the ingredients for both potions as she came back, having Ren work on the pepper-up potion.

"Illvermony taught us more botany, surviving in the wild really than magical solutions. They even taught us a class where we could practice on current computers and phones so we weren't in the Dark Ages among most Muggles." Addie started cutting up herbs as Ren patiently ground up parts, adding them slowly as his cauldron boiled to a bright, absinthe green, his fox demon barking happily with its golden fur twinkling against the flames.

"Shh! Down, boy, you know I shouldn't have you out!" he hissed, popping the fox into his robe pocket, flushing as the teacher slowly strolled around the class, checking everyone's potions as he came to Addie and Ren's table.

"Ah, let me see… The transfer students, correct? Ah, I'm sure you'll be aces in this classroom. Potions is a delicate process, but I've heard wonderful things about your schools' academic success, even how some have developed such delicious treats! Now let's see, Ms. Addie, you tried on the panacea, correct? Hmm… correct color, excellent thickness, hmm, and even a wonderful smell! This is perfect!" Professor Slughorn chimed happily, writing a bright red A onto her notes as he went over to Ren's cauldron, taking a small cup as he tried the bright green drink.

"Hmm… positive scent of pepper and spices, bubbles at the top like soda pop, and let's see… Oh perfect! Ah, that wonderful bubbly burst of spices and peppering across your tongue and roof of the mouth! It's perfect, young man!" Ren blushed brightly, smiling softly as he bowed his head politely, each getting a bottle of their potion as Ren tucked his away into the school bag.

"Guess it'll be helpful on the Quidditch pitch. I'm trying out for the team," Ren admitted, smiling as he saw Addie gasp.

"Really? Oh I was debating if I should or shouldn't. I was wicked good at Seeker position, but I don't know… I was kind of hopeless trying to be fancy on the broomstick. I was honestly just really lucky," she whispered, giggling as Ren laughed quietly.

"My mother played Seeker for the Toyobashi Tengu, Japan's international Quidditch team. I fit the Seeker build well enough, so I was thinking maybe I'd be good at this school's team?" He chuckled, hugging his fox demon to his chest as he felt the soft warmth spread throughout his chest, glancing up towards the staircases after Potions, seeing the portraits and ghosts gliding through.

"Well, I have Charms class, I'll be able to meet my Head of House now! I'm so excited, honestly, I hear he's half goblin, but a genius at different kinds of charms. I wonder if he'll know some Japanese charms, or spells from Illvermony! I hear he also directs a choir class here, I'm hoping to join up so I can sing again. I miss singing," she whispered, Ren chuckling softly.

"Least you can sing, goodness knows I've tried." He laughed softly, watching Addie wave as she headed towards the Charms class while he travelled down the stairs, going out the main doors as he walked along the stone path towards a large, trimmed field holding six tall hoops. The towers of the various houses stood around the field's perimeter, the wind crackling through the flaps on the towers as he headed into the field, shivering lightly.

"Hey, who's the little girl?"

"Shut it, you! He's the transfer student from Mahoutokoro, he might curse you or set his fox demon on your arse!"

"Quiet, you two!" Ren sighed softly, hearing all the whispers as he stood in the group of Slytherins, shivering lightly as he heard faint cheering. He tilted his head up, looking towards the stands as he saw Scorpius waving excitedly.

"Guess someone has a cheerleader," a Gryffindor whispered, chuckling softly as Ren glanced over, looking up at a tall, broad young man with jet black hair. Half of his hair was braided with metallic beads, his eyes a vivid sapphire blue and deep emerald green as Ren's brows furrowed.

"Heterochromia…"

"Hmm? What'd you say, little snake?"

"I said, you'll be eating my dust, Simba. Hush it!" Ren snapped at him, turning away as the Hufflepuff next to the tall young man laughing hard, holding his ribs.

"Damn Alex, I think you just got out-sassed! Whoo, he's got fire for sure, I like him!" Alex grumbled, glancing away to the side as Madam Hooch came out, her black and white referee uniform swirling in the soft wind as she glared at the students, her eyes a terrifying bright hawk yellow.

"All right, I'm here to delegate practices for the try outs for House Quidditch teams. Slytherin, you're up first with your captain needing a new Seeker, a new Beater, Keeper, and all new Chasers. Mount your brooms and take to the skies on my whistle, 3, 2…" A shrill whistle blasted through the still air, Ren snapping his fingers as a broom flew into his hand, instantly mounting it as he took to the air easily. His slim figure let him travel easily as he swirled and weaved between the other fliers, his ears prickling in the sharp wind as he chuckled, easily rolling in a figure eight as he heard the soft, fast wings of the Snitch. His eyes narrowed, looking through the crowd as he took a deep breath, going into a sharp dive through the crowd as he snatched the Snitch, rolling as he landed onto the ground, holding up the gold ball as the other Slytherins cheered.

"Well, easy to say, Ren is now the new Slytherin Seeker! It's to be expected from such a powerful player of a mother, I remember watching her in the Games." Hooch gave a faint smile as Ren smiled, his cheeks red and flushed with windburn as he held the fox demon, nuzzling the gold fur to warm his face.

Time passed as the Houses went up into the air, flying around as the Gryffindor boy, Alex, was given Keeper status for his House's team, the Hufflepuff named Mark was given one of the Beater positions. Ren smiled, hugging his fox demon as he went to the locker room, gathering his items as he frowned, his scarf having been enchanted into a fluffy fur boa as he huffed.

"Seriously…?" He groaned, taking the boa as he wrapped it around his shoulders, gathering his bag before heading towards Transfiguration, ignoring the wolf whistles and cat calls from the men, brushing past Mark and Alex with a huff, grumbling softly as he finally got into the sanctity of a quiet classroom. Or so he had thought when in walked Alex, going over towards Ren's table as he sat next to Ren, whispering softly.

"Hey… Mark and I weren't the ones who enchanted your scarf, it was some other people. I think they were Gryffindor girls," he whispered, Ren blushing lightly at the deep Scottish brogue.

"Thank you… I guess. I'm sorry I was snippy earlier, I don't do well with umm… teasing," he whispered, Alex chuckling softly.

"Hey don't apologize… I honestly should apologize, I shouldn't have been that rude to you. I honestly didn't know if you were male or female though," he admitted, flushing lightly as Ren chuckled dryly.

"Male… trying to be anyway. I was born hermaphrodite," he added, taking out his wand as McGonagall came in.

"To be continued, I'm interested now." Alex winked, chuckling as he took out his own wand, leaning back in the chair as the lesson began.


End file.
